


late suppers are the sweetest

by tansybells



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blood Drinking, Established Relationship, F/F, Light Angst, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Vampire Bites, Vampire!Mercedes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-29 00:14:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30147771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tansybells/pseuds/tansybells
Summary: When Mercedes returns from her assignment with a desperate hunger, Edelgard realizes that she's made a critical mistake—one that is her duty, as Mercedes' favorite meal, to make right.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Mercedes von Martritz
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	late suppers are the sweetest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vulpixel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpixel/gifts).



Holding herself with the grandeur an Emperor should rightfully carry, Edelgard sweeps into the foyer with a joy that her carefully schooled expression can only just contain. When the maid had informed her that her retainers had returned from the assignment that she’d sent them on, it had been all she could do to set her work down and genteelly rise from her seat.

It had been two days since she’d seen them. It was nothing unusual for them to be absent from her side for a few days, and while she has no doubts regarding their capability, there’s always an immense relief to be found when she can confirm their safe return with her own eyes.

She runs her eyes across the room, and as her gaze alights on Hubert and Mercedes holding a murmured conversation across the room, she smiles fondly.

“Welcome back,” she says as she approaches them, her fingers tangled behind her back. Hubert and Mercedes turn to look at her in turn, and while Hubert greets her with nothing but a nod, Mercedes lights up and holds her arms out as if she means to wrap Edelgard up in a tight embrace.

“Edelgard!”

Hubert clears his throat ominously, and with a gracious cant of her head, Mercedes acquiesces to his unspoken requirement.

“ _Lady_ Edelgard.” Lowering her arms, Mercedes arches a playful brow and smiles at Hubert’s satisfied—if grumpy—nod of approval. She doesn’t smile so wide, so as not to reveal her true nature. She never does. All the same, Edelgard knows better. She knows that behind that kind, almost maternal smile lurks a voracious, bloodthirsty predator.

She can’t fault Mercedes for it, though, not when her own Hubert suffers from the same vampiric affliction. That kinship between her two confidants is one of the things that had brought Mercedes into her fold back when they had been students together, and Edelgard could not be more grateful. Mercedes’ gentle nature tempered the doom and gloom that enshrouded Hubert, and it offered them the chance to conduct their work without undue suspicion.

Having two vampires under her jurisdiction does not come without its drawbacks, naturally. Hubert has his own system set up for when it comes time to feed—Edelgard had once noted that Hubert’s satiation often coincided with a certain von Aegir’s predilection for high collars—but Mercedes’ preferences tend to skew towards, well…

Edelgard herself.

So, she has quite a good idea of what Mercedes has on her mind when the vampire charmingly smiles her way. There’s a certain glint in her eye, a blend of hope and expectation that melds naturally into her typical demeanor, and Edelgard is certain that it’s only a matter of time before an unavoidable hunger overwhelms her precious attendant. Even so, Edelgard has no desire to leap to conclusions.

“What is it, Mercedes?” she asks, turning over her shoulder and beckoning for her retainers to join her as she walks. She catches a glimpse of Hubert’s expression, however, and there’s a twitch to his eye that indicates he has picked up on Mercedes’ intentions as well. Edelgard would have been surprised if he didn’t, truthfully, and be very nearly disappointed in him.

“I will take my leave now, Lady Edelgard,” he cuts in before Mercedes with her impishly sweet smile and her undying affection can voice her intent. “I have other matters to attend to.”

“Of course, Hubert. Your dedication is always appreciated.” With a bow, a hand over his heart, Hubert disappears into the shadows he for so long has called his home, and Edelgard is left alone, but for Mercedes trailing along beside her.

For some time, there’s nothing to be heard but the gentle tapping of Edelgard’s shoes against the tile floor. Every so often, Edelgard feels the urge to check over her shoulder to make sure that Mercedes is still with her, but she has the strength of self to resist doing so. Mercedes had long ago mastered the art of moving silently, so it’s little wonder that Edelgard can’t continuously detect Mercedes’ presence behind her. It’s a skillset that must be incredibly useful when Mercedes is at ‘work.’

When it comes to interacting with her personally, however, Edelgard simply can’t feel entirely at ease with Mercedes in a way that she can with Hubert. Perhaps childhood trauma binds Hubert to her side. Perhaps it’s the loyalty between the Hresvelg and Vestra families that has quite literally been bred between them.

Whatever that additional factor is, the ultimate result is that Edelgard doesn’t have that same intrinsic certainty when it comes to Mercedes. She can trust her, yes, but while she can often predict how Hubert intends to perform a task, Mercedes is somewhat... unpredictable. She can’t deny, though, that while such unpredictability is worrisome, there’s something undeniably exhilarating about it.

As if reading her mind, Mercedes sweeps forward and hooks one of her arms around Edelgard’s, pulling her close enough that Edelgard is almost entirely enveloped by the woman’s embrace. It’s impossible to walk in that position; Edelgard comes to a stop in the middle of the hallway, her heartbeat like a drum playing in her ears.

“There are people watching,” Edelgard murmurs, even while Mercedes affectionately pats the top of her head, “and you know that this behavior is far from appropriate, even for a retainer.” 

“I missed you so much,” Mercedes hums, Edelgard’s words of caution having fallen on deaf ears. “Did both Hubert _and_ I really have to go? It could have just as easily been just Hubert.”

“You know how he is.” Edelgard pulls gently at Mercedes’ grasp, testing her grounds for escape, but it’s clear that Mercedes’ inhuman strength has been put to use. “He’s more than excellent when it comes to matters of intimidation, but when it comes to representing myself politically, I would prefer to have someone with a far more delicate touch. That’s where you come in, Mercedes.”

“You can call me Mercie, you know,” Mercedes sighs wistfully. Edelgard presses her lips together. If she’d had any doubts about Mercedes’ hunger previously, there are certainly none to be found now. The woman has a tendency to become a little morose when the time is nigh. “All of my friends do it.” She pauses, then self-corrects. “Did it.”

Not for the first time does Edelgard feel a glimmer of guilt at Mercedes’ situation. She’s forever grateful that the vampire had decided to join the Black Eagles, but in rare moments like these, she remembers the connections and friendships that Mercedes discarded by making such a life-altering decision. Her brother notwithstanding, of course, as he satiates his own bloodlust by acting as Edelgard’s blade in places Hubert cannot reach. But most prominently coming to mind is one Annette Dominic, with whom Mercedes had been particularly close.

Perhaps that’s the reason why Mercedes is so determined to stay at her side, as well as the reason why Edelgard continues to allow her to do so. She, of all people, cannot fault Mercedes for mourning her loss.

“I shall consider it,” Edelgard mumbles roughly, unable to speak any louder whilst the reminder of her guilt still feels so raw, so present.

“And while we’re discussing things I’d like,” Mercedes continues, a mischievous tone creeping into her voice, “I sincerely hope that you are feeling well.”

“I appreciate your concern for my welfare,” Edelgard replies as diplomatically as she can, despite being fully aware of the path of conversation Mercedes intends to lead her down. “As your employer, I would certainly hope that you prefer my good health.”

“That’s not what I mean,” her companion sighs as she finally lets Edelgard go. Edelgard deflates with relief and tries to step forward, but just as she’d thought Mercedes was done with her, Mercedes sets a firm hand on her shoulder.

Edelgard chuckles. “I know very well what you mean,” she says as she looks over her shoulder, locking eyes with the other woman and quirking up one corner of her mouth in a smile. “You’re usually not the sort to beat around the bush with such matters. What’s changed?” 

Mercedes purses her lips thoughtfully. “I’d have to say that if anything… I’m actually quite a bit hungrier than usual.” She sets her hand on her stomach and smiles winsomely. “It nearly feels like my stomach’s trying to eat itself, I’m so famished.”

“Eating itself?” Edelgard raises a brow. “That’s quite a noticeable difference, Mercedes. You could have said something before I sent you off. That must have been what—two days ago?”

“Two and a half,” Mercedes corrects, almost immediately. “We left in the early afternoon, and it’s nearly dinnertime now.”

“I see.” Edelgard sighs. Hubert and Mercedes run on different feeding schedules—and considering how dedicated Hubert is to being at her side at all times, she can say with near certainty that he eats on a much tighter schedule than Mercedes does. “And it was, what, a week or so since you ate before that?”

Silently, Mercedes nods.

Edelgard clicks her tongue with disgust and turns away derisively. It disgusts her, the possibility that she’s allowed Mercedes to hunger to this extent. It’s not even a possibility of an accident at this point; she’s worked with Mercedes for long enough that this mistake is nothing short of willful negligence. As Emperor—nay, as Mercedes’ confidant and former classmate, it’s her duty to make things right again.

Any flutter in her heart is simply in anticipation of the rush that comes with having Mercedes drink from her. It’s a side effect that she ignores whenever possible, as any assistance she provides for Mercedes has to be purely for Mercedes’ sake. Never her own. It can never be for her own sake.

With a sigh, she closes her eyes and contemplates the components of today’s attire. When she’s satisfied that her undergarments are low enough to leave her neck accessible without having to completely undress from the waist up, she removes Mercedes’ hand from her shoulder. Then, clasping that hand in her own, Edelgard guides her down the hallway to a room she knows for certain will have zero occupants.

The door to her private office opens with a creak. It’s a flaw that Edelgard refuses to have corrected, as while most of her attendants knock to confirm their entry, she can’t help but assume that someone will eventually break that unspoken rule of thumb. But she doubts that anyone will have that issue today, because as soon as she ushers Mercedes into the room with her, she takes deliberate care to softly, gently lock the door behind them.

“How much do you think you’ll need?” she asks as she walks up to her desk and sloughs off the scarlet jacket that covers the overlapping point between the matching skirt and her long-sleeved white shirt. “I typically take some time to adequately prepare,” she continues, folding her jacket and setting it down on the desk before reaching for the buttons at her neck, “but given the current circumstances—”

Mercedes’ hands are already on her, hungry, wanting, as she buries her face in the crook of Edelgard’s neck from behind. Her breath is hot on her skin as she pants with need.

Edelgard’s fingers fumble with the ivory buttons as she hurries to give Mercedes the space she needs to work. Mercedes reaches out to assist her, and as soon as the front of Edelgard’s shirt is unbuttoned enough to give them room to work with, Mercedes pulls it off of Edelgard’s shoulders completely.

Exposed but for her underclothes, Edelgard resists the urge to shudder at the brush of cool air that washes over her, at the unbidden terror that threatens to take her by storm. Mercedes has seen her scars before, considering that she’s among the healers who attend to her when necessary. And while they aren’t as intimate as lovers, per se—though this thing she has with Mercedes is as close to a romance as Edelgard has been able to have, considering the stress of trying to unify Fódlan—Mercedes regards the raised, pearly reminders of her tragic life with nothing but adoration.

“I’ll try to not take too much,” Mercedes finally purrs, as she skims her palms over Edelgard’s bare shoulders, just before turning Edelgard around so that she can see the desperation in the vampire’s eyes. Nearly more importantly, however, is the way that her new position allows Edelgard to lean back against her desk, support herself as Mercedes sets one hand at the back of her head and leans in to gently open and close her mouth against the sensitive skin of her neck.

Edelgard shudders; her nerves sing with anticipation for what is to come. Why Mercedes is toying with her, especially when she’s so _hungry,_ she doesn’t know. But Mercedes seems to anticipate her question, and she whispers, “Don’t you feel your blood rushing, Edelgard? Can’t you hear it pounding in your ears?” She lays a kiss upon Edelgard’s neck. “It’s agony to hold back, but it will be easier for you after—”

“Do it,” Edelgard commands, even as her gaze wanders up towards the ceiling and she lifts her chin to further expose her neck. “Bite me. Drink.”

Delighted, Mercedes obeys. Edelgard feels the vampire open her mouth, stretching it wide. Another chill runs through her as the extended lengths of Mercedes’ incisors run against the side of her neck; she takes a deep breath in an attempt to make herself relax. And then, a little pinch as the sharp edges of Mercedes’ fangs slice through her skin. A sickening feeling grows in the bottom of Edelgard’s stomach as Mercedes sinks in deeper, the twin holes in her neck widening with each passing moment. 

Her limbs begin to tremble beneath her, and she grabs onto the edge of her desk in an attempt to steady herself as Mercedes pulls her fangs out of her vein.

“You need to relax, Edelgard,” Mercedes reminds her in a faint whisper. Edelgard glances down to her to see that her lips and mouth are already tinted red from the blood that has begun to well up from the wounds in her neck. “It’ll be easier that way.”

After Edelgard nods in confirmation, the vampire ducks back down again and draws her tongue along the twin lines of blood that have begun to run warm and thick down her neck. Mercedes’ tongue feels hot and rough against her skin for a few moments, and then she latches onto the holes on Edelgard’s neck and begins to suck. Gently at first, as Mercedes allows the beating of Edelgard’s very own heart to pump blood into her mouth, but when Mercedes decides that it’s not enough, she applies more suction to the wounds.

Light-headedness washes over Edelgard as blood begins to leave her body in full force.

This is the part that she can never get used to, the disorienting feeling that overwhelms her when what’s supposed to stay inside her is being drawn out. It brings back nightmarish memories and intrusive thoughts of laying on a table with grey-faced men and women peering down at her. The memories burrow into her brain and Edelgard looks back up at the ceiling with a pained, scared whimper. She’s being emptied, scooped out from within, and tiny knives of ancient pain prickle at her skin. 

Mercedes hums against her, and the comforting tune grounds Edelgard. Her kindness, her softness, it reminds Edelgard that she’s not in those deep chambers anymore, that she’s the one in control of what does or doesn’t happen to her. Despite all odds, she’s the Emperor now, so if Mercedes drinks her blood, it is with her permission and her permission alone.

Excess blood trickles down her neck as Mercedes’ suckling grows slower, more labored with her growing fullness, and Edelgard closes her eyes in relief. Lights dance against the darkness of her eyelids; she knows that if she were to stand up right now, she’d more than likely topple over onto the ground. Finally, Mercedes drags her tongue over Edelgard’s neck once more, promoting the quick coagulation of her blood and ultimately signaling the end of her mealtime.

“I hope you’re feeling alright,” Mercedes says as she rises from her position at Edelgard’s neck, her voice heavy with the weight of her meal. “I—think I might’ve been hungrier than I’d initially thought.”

Mercedes momentarily obscures her sheepish smile by wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, but as she shakes her hand off playfully, Edelgard looks at her through bleary eyes. She furrows her brows together as she notices the way that wiping her hand across her face has left Mercedes with a swipe of blood streaking all the way from her mouth to halfway across her cheek, and as if moving through a haze, Edelgard finds herself reaching out.

“You’ve got some there,” she murmurs, concerned, as she sets her hand on the lower portion of Mercedes’ cheek. With her thumb, she attempts to wipe some of the blood off of Mercedes’ bottom lip—and pauses.

“Why have I never kissed you before?” she wonders on a single breath. “We’ve done this so many times. Why haven’t I kissed you yet?”

“I don’t know,” Mercedes replies, her breath hot against Edelgard’s face. Edelgard stares at her dazedly, her gaze focusing on the bright flush of Mercedes’ cheeks, the way her lips are just ever-so-slightly parted; Mercedes tilts her head to the side, her eyes bright. “Why _haven’t_ you?”

“I really think I should, don’t you?”

“Mm.” Mercedes closes her eyes in thought, and for the first time, Edelgard notices just how long and dark her lashes are against her skin. “What if I said no?”

“Then I wouldn’t,” Edelgard replies, disgusted by even the _suggestion_ of forcing herself onto the other woman.

Mercedes chuckles. “It’s good that I want to be kissed, then.”

Already, Edelgard is leaning in, pressing her lips to Mercedes’. To taste the salt of her own blood is far from a new phenomenon, as cuts and nicks to one’s face are things that come frequently in war. But it’s completely different when Mercedes’ touch is involved, when she has the chance to lean up against her, weave unsteady fingers deftly through short blonde hair, and pull the woman close to her like their first kiss and their last kiss are one and the same.

She kisses Mercedes with the conviction of a new convert, and Mercedes is the saint she has chosen to worship. It’s a strange comparison to make, considering the path in life that Edelgard has chosen to take—to carve in blood if need be—but considering the fervor and reverence with which Mercedes kisses her back, it only feels adequate.

When Edelgard withdraws, if only to satiate the need of her burning lungs, Mercedes licks her smiling lips. “You look so beautiful like this,” she whispers as Edelgard pants to regain her breath. “I want more.”

“No more blood,” Edelgard replies quickly. “I’m afraid I’ll faint if you have any more.”

“I don’t mean your blood,” Mercedes says with a tilt of her head, her eyes aglow, “I want _you._ ”

Edelgard opens her mouth, then snaps it shut as she turns aside. If she’d thought that she had surrendered so much blood to Mercedes that she couldn’t even blush, she was quickly corrected by the rush of heat to her cheeks. “Perhaps we can do something about that,” she says, lifting her chin high before looking back to meet Mercedes’ gaze as regally as she can manage. Mercedes cups the side of Edelgard’s face in her palm, “Because I’m afraid the feeling is mutual.”

“Perfect.” Mercedes smiles; Edelgard’s eyes flutter to a close as Mercedes leans in and, once more, their lips meet. They don’t kiss as softly as before; there’s a new hunger and a fire burning in Edelgard’s stomach that urges her to push her tongue forward when Mercedes’s lips tempt a parting.

Newly cognizant of the way she’s backed up against her desk, Edelgard lifts herself up onto her toes, allows Mercedes to push her back and up into a seated position. She tugs Mercedes against her, looping her arms up and around the other woman’s neck as she slips her tongue into the warmth of Mercedes’ mouth. She begins to explore—but all comes to a halt as she brushes up against one of Mercedes’ razor-sharp fangs.

Her tongue seems to explode with pain, and while she has the distinct feeling that Mercedes’ instinct will be to attempt and drink her blood down again, Edelgard yanks back with a sharp yelp of distress. Falling backwards against her desk, she holds her hands up over her lips and presses her tongue up against the roof of her mouth.

“Oh, oh no!” Mercedes reaches forward, probably to try and assist her, but Edelgard holds out a hand and shakes her head. “Edelgard, are you okay?”

“I think so,” Edelgard mumbles around the thickness of her tongue, her mouth filled with the taste of her own blood. There’s no joy, no pleasure to it anymore, though, which is disappointing. “It hurts.”

“Here, let me—” The glow of faith magic appears at Mercedes’ fingertips, and after a moment of consideration, Edelgard nods and sticks the tip of her tongue out of her mouth. There’s no taste to the magic, to Edelgard’s vague surprise, but it does carry a numbing effect that alleviates the pain of having so many nerve endings sliced through indiscriminately. The glow fades, and Mercedes pulls back with worry dancing in her eyes.

“I assume the moment is over?” Mercedes asks, at which Edelgard nods once again. She sighs. “It was nice while it lasted.”

“It was,” Edelgard brings herself to agree as soon as she feels that she has control of her mouth once again. “I—I have to apologize, though. I don’t know what came over me. Perhaps it was the blood loss.”

“It’s alright,” Mercedes murmurs, patting Edelgard’s shoulder. Her touch is cool against the heat of Edelgard’s skin, and Edelgard hesitantly smiles. “Everything I said was true; it was something I wanted.” She pauses. “Have wanted for a long time.”

“I know,” Edelgard sighs. “I had thought I could ignore it. It’s—that’s the reason why I’ve been sending you away so often. I couldn’t bring myself to think about the consequences of acting upon my impulses.”

“What consequences?” Mercedes laughs. “I, for one, think I’ll be carrying on much the same.” Straightening up, she glances towards the office door. “Speaking of which, Hubert is probably wondering where I am. We don’t usually take this long.”

Edelgard presses her lips together and chuckles, amused. Knowing Hubert as she does, he probably already knows exactly what has transpired between her and Mercedes. “I’ll talk to him, so you don’t need to worry.”

She tries to stand up, but the blood she’d given up during Mercedes’ feeding seems to catch up to her. Her head spins uncontrollably, and she collapses back against the desk.

“On second thought, perhaps I should take a moment before returning to my duties,” Edelgard mumbles, embarrassed and dazed. And aside from her own dizziness, she can hardly imagine what it would look like for two women of their stature to exit the privacy of her office with mussed hair, flushed cheeks, crimson-stained lips, and the air of a secret about them. “If there are things you must attend to, Mercedes—”

“Mercie,” her companion corrects, a twinkle in her eye.

“Mercie,” Edelgard cedes, as Mercedes reaches out and swipes at the corner of Edelgard’s mouth with her thumb.

“You’ve got a little something there,” she croons, smiling so brightly that her pearly fangs seem to sparkle in the light. Bringing her thumb to her mouth, she licks off the smear of blood that she’d taken from Edelgard’s lips. Then, as Mercedes turns around to unlock the door and slip out into the hallway, she glances back over her shoulder.

“See you after dinner,” she promises. Her gaze flickers down from Edelgard’s face to her shoulders, the uncovered skin of her chest, her arms—and as Edelgard impulsively crosses her arm across her chest, she smiles again.

“It’s a good look on you,” Mercedes adds, “but you might want to wash up.” She swirls a finger around her upper chest, across her shoulders, and ends by tapping against the jugular vein of her own neck. “Someone might think you’ve been up to something.”

The door closes behind Mercedes, and Edelgard turns around to face the discarded clothes that she’d set aside so long ago. As she pushes her arms through the sleeves, though, she glances down at her chest. Per the norm, there’s a noticeable amount of blood spread across her skin, but this time, it’s been smeared around far enough her underclothes have been stained after all. She sighs and begins to button up her shirt over the residue from Mercedes’ feeding.

“I’ll have to keep a tighter leash on her,” Edelgard mutters to herself while she pulls her jacket back on, even as she remembers the softness of Mercedes’ lips against her own. “I should probably keep a better log of when she needs to eat, while I’m at it. This can’t happen again.” She smooths out the wrinkles of her scarlet jacket and, confirming that her hair is as tidy as it’s going to get without the aid of a mirror, she glances towards the door. “Mercedes getting so hungry, that is.”

She doesn’t know what this… relationship she has with Mercedes is, nor does she entirely understand how it’s changed. All Edelgard knows is that it has, and truthfully, she thinks she might like it better this way.

**Author's Note:**

> A long time ago, Kip and I discussed vampire edelcedes. Since then, they drew some amazing art (which you can see right [here](https://twitter.com/staticshark69/status/1373032887935700993?s=21)) and this fic was born! One day I'll learn how to write Mercedes right, I promise.
> 
> Thanks to [Lily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderlily_Writes/pseuds/Spiderlily_Writes) for her beta work, and thanks to you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it ♡


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